Apparatus for stretching leather



R. C. FOGG APPARATUS FOR STRETCHING LEATHER Jan. 31, 1928.

f Filed Jan, 20. 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet l mln um Jan. 31, 1928. 1,657,464

R. C. FOGG .APPARATUS FOR STRBTCHING LEATHER Filed Jan. 2o, lzs ssheets-sheet. 2

l l i@ E5 wmfmm Jan. 3l, 1928.

R. C. FOGG APPARATUS FOR STRETCHING LEATHER Filed Jan. 20, 1925 3Sheets-Sheet.

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I/v vin/TOR: APM/)ard Cooke F027 ATTVS.

Patented Jan. 31, 1928.

UNITED STATES eATEn-r OFFICE.

nronann COOKE nous, or BOLTON, ENGLAND, Assmnon fro winnen WALKER ANDsons minimun, or BOLTON, ENGLAND.

APPARATUS FOR STRETCHIIQ'G LEATHER.

Application filed January 2D, 1525, Serial No.

In the stretching of leather when in the lull hide or in sides or butts,it is desirable that even tension should be put thereon so that saidleather is brought into a flat, straight and even condition and thatwithout causing any damaged parts thereon, to att-ain this objectaccording to my present invention I Vfollow such a method and malle useot such'means as enableV the leather to be held against becomingnarrowerin width while it is beine" ystretched lengthwise, thus when thestretched leatheris dried it is even andllat, being entirely tree fromundulations, creases or other markings which re sult from the method ofstretching `heretoiore followed. I am further enabled tofarrange thedifferent stages or preparing, stretching' and drying to be carried outby different workmen in order to l-:cep the process continuous from thetaking ot' the hides in their soit, moist condition, placing each hide.within framework, applying gripping devices to the edges oi saidhides'in suitable and appropriate positions thereon, handling such frameworh in order ,to place same in apparatus for pulling or exertingstrains thereon tor distending the hides lengthwise (in inl/inner beforestated), removing the framework and its hide and carrying saine along.run-ways or trolley rails which talee them into positions where theyreman until dried. or are carried slowly along a path that may occupysuch tinieas will enable said drying to ybe effected before theYiframeworli and hide are taken "forward `to have the said hide detacheeready for other hides ol' leather to be mounted therein to repeat theoperation.

'ifo enable my method and the means which I employ lior carrying sameinto eiilect to be clearly understood, I have hereunto appended sheetsof drawings illustrative thereof, to which' by ligures and lettersreference is made in the. following description.

Figure l is a plan view ci my improved leather stretching apparatus.

Figure 2 is a view 4ol `the stretching traine suspended for transiter-from one table to Vanother.

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the lr-aine resting on a table.

Figure fl is a detail showing in elevation one of the lside clampsattached to the stretching frame,

3,555, and in Great Britain January 26, 1924.

Figure is a plan view ol' a portion of Figure fl.

Figure G is a fragmentary perspective of oneof the end members ot theframe.

Figure T is a section ou the line A-B of Figure 2.

Figure 8 is a side elevation ci one of the end clamps showing its manneroi' engagement with the end member illustrated" in Figure G. i

Y igure 9 is 4a detail oit one vcorner of the trame shown in iligure 2,iindicatingi'how one part may be adjusted on anotlitfn.`

Fgurc l() is a sectonal end elevation of the parts shown by lligure `9.

lIhe method of stretching thehides which I follow in accordance with myinvention is carried out by gripping each of the edges at the two sidesot the hide by jaws which may put slight tension on the whole hidein alateral direction. One end `O the hide yis also laid hold oit `by a jaw`which extends from edge to edge ol thehide as is hereinalter explainedwhilev ,the other end of the hide is laid hold or by a series of jawsoccupying irregular positions according to the irregular yshape of thatend oi the hide, and these latter jaws are mounted upon 1an operatingmember which will cause them to stretch yor distend the hide lengthwise.When these jaws are thus stretching the hide the which engage the sidesof saine lare permitted to move as thc stretching of the hide along .theparts which support them carries them forward, by which arrangement thestretching iseil'ectod without the hide'beilng in anyway engaged withex# cept at its eXtreme edges all around it thus by being` stretchedlongitudinally whileit held `against Abeing made narrower during saidstretching operations all creases and undulations are entirely yavoidedand the leather when dried is -hat and even throughout'its whole area. A

The means which I employ Jfor engaging with each hide A, are mostclearlyillus-f trated by Figures l, 2 and 3 or' the drawings which showa rectangular frame 3 formed by the bars a, c and d. p

rThe bars F3 and Z are fixed to the cross bar a which cross -bar ci isconstructed or formed as is hereinafter fully explained while the crossbar c is arranged to slide over the longitudinalbars `Z1 and l at onelill) workmen placing a frame 3 upon one or other ol the tables 2 or 2a.

The hide in its moist condition is taken and one edge near the shoulderof the hide (which is or' irregular formation as is shown by Figs. l and2 is arranged to be gripped close to the edges by the adjustable grippers The slots in the cross rail a enabling the adjustment ol saidgrippers 6 as is hereinbelore explained.

lhe grippers 9 which are arranged on the bars Z) d along the two sidesot the hide A are then brought into use and are caused to grip the' hideclose toits edges and these grippers are then drawn laterally from saidhide by their screws ll being acted upon by the winged nuts lla (see Fig. 2) while the guiding brackets l2 lie loosely upon the two guidingrails o and d. p

rlhe other end ot the hide is gripped by the longitudinal gripping jawwhich is in the torni of a rail litted with a strip ot incorrodiblemetal which will not mark or stain the hide and this gripping rail 5 iscaused to grip by the tightening up of the screws 7.

The hide and Jtrame are then transferred to a stretching apparatus asshown in Figure l.

On the stretching apparatus being put into action to cause the bar c toslide upon the bars?) and d when the desired stretch has been carriedout (as indicated by graduations on the bar I) or el) the b-indingscrews l are tightened up to grip the side bars L and d there to holdthe cross bar c in position.

Such being the nature and object of my said invention what I Claim is l.lnapparatus for stretching leather, a trame having side bars andtransverse members, one ot said transverse members being movable towardand from the other, gripping means on said transverse members, meansengaging said transverse members and actuable to move said membersrela-- tively to stretch the leather longitudinally of the trame, andmeans slidably mounted on each of the side bars for gripping the sidesof the leather, said mea-ns being actuable to stretch the leatherlaterally at any stage of the process of stretching longitudinally.

'said gripping means on one ot the side bars being actuable to cooperatewith the gripping means on the opposite side bar to stretch the leatherlaterally at any stage of the longitudinal str-etching operation.

3. In a frame for stretching leather, an end bar formed of sheetmetalbent into a hollow form having spaced side portions, one of said sideportions having slots extending laterally ot the bar, headed bolts disposed through said slots having their heads within said hollow, jaws andnuts on said bolts and strips ol protective material mounted on said barbetween said slots.

4. In a trame for stretching leather, a hollow and relatively wide metalend bar comprising spaced upper and lower tace portions, an edge portionintegral with said tace portions, and a flange integral with each taceportion and substantially perpendicular thereto, the edge of the flangeon said lower portion abutting the upper Jface portion and havingnotches formed therein, said upper face portion having slotstherethrough extending laterally of the bar and corresponding to saidnotches in combina tion with headed bolts` disposed through said slotshaving their heads positioned between said face portions, gripping jawsand a nut on each bolt, and strips of protective material secured tosaid upper tace portion between said slots.

RICHARD COOKE FOGG.

